Death
by lily22
Summary: [Dedicated to our beloved Zoo-sama since it is her birthday today. 6/3/03] One who achieves immortality but is forgotten... One who dies but is remembered forever... and a boy who can see your death with a single touch...


This story written by: Lily and Tenshi

For: Zoo

Reason: We love her. Besides, it's her birthday!

~~

"Hey Yuugi!" 

Yuugi flinched visibly away from the exuberant greeting.

"What's wrong?" Jou asked concernedly, taking a seat next to him on the bench. Yuugi tried to move away unobtrusively, shrinking away from even the slightest contact. He slid down a minute distance, but even that small movement caught Jou's attention. "Daijoubu desu ka?"

"Heiki." Yuugi managed to get out, pasting on a smile in hopes of dissuading his friend, to no avail. Jou reached out and put a hand on Yuugi's arm…

_A dagger, sparkling maliciously in the dim light, honed to a killing edge. It hovered for a few moments in front of him before plunging into a chest Jou recognized as his own. Blood… _

 "Gomen ne!" Yuugi yelled, jumping up and breaking contact.

"…Yuugi! What the hell was that?" Jou clutched at his chest, panting heavily. He could almost feel something sticking him there… He looked down at his hands, feeling an unexplained weight.

"Er… nothing…" Amethyst eyes shifted uneasily to the side, filled with a guilt and pain he couldn't understand. 

"Nothing? How can you call that nothing? Tell me, Yuugi!"

"Well… I… I can kind of… see how somebody is going to die when I touch them."

"WHAT? You mean… that's how…"

"Yes. Gomen ne…" Yuugi whispered, reaching a tentative hand out in a vain attempt to comfort Jou before, suddenly remembering, he snatched it away again. Not that it mattered. Jou had gotten up, backpedaling out of touching distance. 

"Get away from me, freak!" He yelled before running away. "Don't touch me! Leave me alone!"

"J-Jou…" Yuugi tried to run after him, to try and make things right again. But how could he?

~~

_"Don't touch me! Leave me alone!"_

_I never asked for this._

_I don't even know how it happened._

_All I know is that I can now see exactly what I never wanted to see: the deaths of those closest to me. He was right. I am a freak. _

_I should leave. It's bad enough I'm stuck with this curse. Nobody should have to suffer their own deaths twice._

_Then it's decided. I'm out of here._

_How long have I been wandering? Hours, at least. Where am I? I'm so lost. Tired. My nose itches. Oh no. I must've caught a cold in the rain back there. So… blurry… Whozzat? Tired. White hair. Concerned brown eyes. Sleep._

~~

Yuugi awoke to the same pair of warm brown eyes, watching him with anxiety. "Naa…?"

"You'll be just fine. Don't worry." The mouth underneath those eyes smiled at him gently. "Who are you?"

He would later come to learn that those soft brown eyes belonged to a kind boy, about his own age, named Ryou Bakura. Kind enough to welcome and care for a total stranger, a freak, a wandering outcast of society, Ryou didn't even seem to mind finding out the cause of his death—a car crash due to a drunk driver. He simply accepted it, something few people managed to do within their lifetimes. Though, in most cases, it was something that happened outside of their lifetimes. Figuratively speaking.

Yuugi got a job at Ryou's newspaper company, and became a reporter, and not a bad one either. He seemed to have a flair for writing, and it kept him mostly out of bodily contact with other people. (Of course, it was soothing to type up his articles and feel only a cool white feeling. Therapeutic even.) He gained a reputation as an eccentric and a recluse, but it was only Ryou who knew that there was anything wrong with him. And Jou of course.

The number was increased to three one day while he was walking to work. The day that he ran into one Seto Kaiba. Literally.

Kaiba, being the larger of the two, managed to remain standing whilst Yuugi tumbled to the ground. Kaiba extended down a gentlemanly hand, and, without thinking, Yuugi took it. 

_A blinding flash of white. Nothingness._

When Yuugi awoke, Kaiba was staring at him in shock. Only a minute or so seemed to have passed, and judging by Kaiba's slightly disheveled look, they must've both fainted. "Gomen ne!" Yuugi yelled, reminded strongly of that day five years ago, and, scrambling to his feet, took off at a run.

"Matte! Stop!" So commanding, so authoritative was that voice that Yuugi stopped, even as every nerve of his body screamed for him to run away, to leave before this complete stranger found out what was wrong with him. 

"Hai?" Yuugi managed around chattering teeth. He had heard of Seto Kaiba of course. He had even written several articles about the boy prodigy who ran his own very successful company. However, Yuugi wasn't thinking about the man's fame. He was trying to decipher the strange reaction he had gotten. What was up with the white? And the nothingness? Even when he could stand to watch the entire death, the visions never included nothingness. He watched the other's long strides bring him closer. How was this man any different from anyone else?

"I want to know what that was and you're going to tell me." 

Worried that he'd be late to work, Yuugi tried to get out of it, though obviously for more reasons than the one given. Kaiba offered him a ride, provided that he would meet up with him later at a more convenient time to 'discuss' the strange event.

'An event' was all it was to Kaiba. How soon that would change. For Seto Kaiba had a hobby no one else knew about. In his spare moments, which, admittedly, were few and far between, his amusement of choice was the pursuit of immortality. 

~~

"So what was it?" I ask once he gets seated, somewhat concerned but not much. I neither believe nor disbelieve magic, so it wasn't that great of a shock. If this Yuugi character had magic, he was a rather inexperienced mage, as he had managed to knock himself out with that blinding flash of white as well.

_"It… well… It's quite strange," he mumbles._

_"Hn." I don't say anything else. The silence stretches, and Yuugi shifts uncomfortably, not that he'd been any more comfortable before. I don't mind waiting. Yuugi, on the other hand…_

_"I have this weird thing where I can see death before it happens and it's really strange and I don't know why either but I just can and it confuses me too…" His voice is incredibly small, the words fired rapidly like bullets from a machine gun. And just as accurate, though, in this case, the shooter does not know. The words stop as I arch a practiced eyebrow. "Ah, that is… When I touch somebody, I can see how they're going to die."_

_"Really? So what does the white mean?" Anything about death catches my attention. Anything._

_"I… I don't know." With a helpless shake of the head, he mouthes silently a few times before continuing. "It's never happened before."_

_"Really. So what usually happens?"_

_"…Umm… maybe I'll see a… a truck or… or… a d… dagger…" He shivered rather unpleasantly, and I knew that I'd best leave the topic alone._

_"Well, thank you for coming," I announce in my formal voice, standing up. "Please contact me if you find out any more." I hand him my business card and watch him go, musing over this._

_It never occurs to me to doubt his wild story._

~~ 

Seto left the meeting with his head spinning. 'Someone who could see another's death… I wouldn't wish such a burden on anyone. What could it mean if my death is undetermined?'

He reached his house and settled in front of his computer. Even while sorting through e-mails long into the night, he continued to ruminate over the surprising revelation Yuugi had given him. His concentration split, he almost dismissed a particular e-mail as 'junk.' 

'Dear Seto Kaiba,

Greetings. My name is Pegasus J. Crawford. Perhaps you have heard of me? It would be simply awful if my reputation had not preceded me. After all, it has in so many cases.

If what I suspect is true, then my reputation has preceded me, and I need no introduction. Which is, of course, wonderful. It is a useless to waste time on introductions, after the acceptable amount of social niceties and the undercurrent of probing has been completed.

I would like to invite you to a dinner at my residence. It is to take place in one week's time. The purpose, you ask? 

Simple. I believe I have some information that may interest you.'

~~ 

Dinner was an elegant affair, with paper-thin glass plates and intricate designed silverware. Kaiba paid this no heed, instead, fixing his eyes on Pegasus, waiting for him to speak. While he waited, he drank a little soup, as leaving his food untouched would be most impolite.

"How is your wife?" Kaiba finally asked, remembering what he could from articles about Mrs. Crawford. The pictures there had depicted a lovely blonde, and Kaiba faintly wondered why she wasn't dining with them.

"She… is unwell."

"Unwell?"

"Yes, she has leukemia. She has about a month left to live."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

"No need, it's not your fault. But you know, I'm sorry too." Pegasus set down his napkin, sighing, with a faraway look in his eyes. "I would give anything to keep her alive. I would give my own life, if only there were some way…"

They both sat in silence.

"But there is a way!" Pegasus suddenly exclaimed, but his smile didn't quite reach his eyes. "There is a way…" he repeated, as if that would make it more real. "There's a new technology out lately. One can… choose to be frozen alive. Some time in the future, others will unfreeze you, and the idea is that there'll be better technology then, technology that can keep you living even longer. Perhaps we'll have even achieved immortality."

"I see. And you are hoping for… a cure for leukemia."

"Yes. Exactly. The problem is that Cyndia doesn't wish to be frozen."

"Why not?" Seto was very intrigued by now. Immortality! It seemed too good to be true, but it was possible… so possible…

"She feels that it's… unnatural. If only I could convince her… you should see her. She's so frail, especially in that white hospital gown of hers… she can barely walk without support. Even her eyes are starting to look lost, as if her mind is dying with her body…"

If Kaiba hadn't known better, he would've thought Pegasus about to cry.

"And if somebody else tried this before her? Might she be… convinced?"

When Pegasus looked up, Kaiba could see the hope there. "Yes… Yes, I should think so. Now do you see why I called you?"

Kaiba nodded, remembering the brilliant flash of white. "I understand..."

~~

Yuugi went into work early one morning to find the day's newspapers still being bundled and waiting to be delivered. He greeted the workers politely and almost passed inside without any problems until the headline caught his eye. Quickly appropriating a paper from the nearest bundle (ignoring the vehement protests of the other people loading) he carried it inside with him, reading all the while.

'Seto Kaiba Frozen'

'The city's resident CEO, Seto Kaiba of KaibaCorp, announced his intentions to retire early last week. Until now, he has given us no clue as to why he chose to do so. Now we know. Just last night, his still breathing body was deep-frozen in a process peculiar to a cult known as the Immortalists. The process preserves all of the vital organs, preventing the body from decaying. The theory is that, in the future, when technology has become advanced enough to revive and resurrect the dead, the body can be thawed and restored. Apparently, Seto Kaiba believes in this theory as well. What can we expect from such a successful CEO? Who wouldn't want to be able to pick up from where they left off when they die, albeit several hundreds or even thousands of years into the future? 

In dying, Seto Kaiba left all his assets, including the company, a net worth calculated to be at least $25 billion, to his only remaining relative, Mokuba Kaiba, his younger brother. Will he be as successful as his older brother?' The remainder of the article was a biography of Seto Kaiba, detailing his life, his work and his business. Yuugi checked the author. Anzu Masaki. Of course. She had always wanted to do an article on Seto Kaiba, had probably been collecting this information for several years. 

'So that's what it meant.' 

He dropped the newspaper, neatly folded, onto his desk and leaned back, eyes closed. He heard footsteps behind him and sighed softly when hands were rested on his shoulders. The by now familiar scene of a car crash flooded his mind again. "Ne, Ryou-kun, how do you put up with me?" He murmured, half to himself. 

"I heard." Yuugi heard Ryou say, his voice saying volumes his words didn't. 

"Oh? What did you hear?" He asked, knowing full well that Ryou had not 'heard' anything. Many of their conversations started this way; it was Ryou's way of helping him talk out his problems, attributing Yuugi's own thoughts to a third party where none existed.

"That it was partly your fault Seto Kaiba had himself deep-frozen instead of buried or cremated." One hand released his shoulder and, after reaching into a pocket, tossed a precisely folded piece of paper on the table. 

"Do they really say that? My visions don't allow me to change anything I see. This was the death I foresaw for him. It didn't change after I met him. It was a slow descent. Being deep-frozen is not something you decide on impulse or because of a chance meeting. My meeting with him had nothing to do with his decision," he answered, voicing his own defense. "You, of all people, should know that I don't want people to die." Yuugi shrugged, breaking off contact, and turned around to look Ryou in the face.

"Calm down Yuugi. I understand." If those words had come from anyone else, Yuugi might have exploded, demanding to know exactly how on earth they thought they could understand him. Yet, looking up at Ryou's face, he only read earnestness, a desire, a want to help in any way possible. Even if it was impossible. 

"They'll forget him within a year." Yuugi told Ryou. "It's sad how he spent his whole life building this business and threw it away for the merest slimmest chance of immortality. Perhaps that's why I saw nothing after the flash of white. He himself will disappear into oblivion. Nothing will be left of him. Even his descendants will know him only because they are his descendants, not because he was a particularly good person or because he did something great." 

"Perhaps." Ryou said, looking thoughtfully at the piece of paper he had thrown previously. "But not everyone can."

"By doing something good…"

"Not everyone can do something celebrated or great or wonderful. There are those people, a small percentage of society. People like that nun, Mother Theresa. There are those vilified by society and history, by memory. People like Adolf Hitler or Saddam Hussein," Ryou, ever the optimistic one, pointed out. "Then, there are the ordinary people. The people who live life as best as they can, doing good things or bad things, but nothing earth-shattering. People who are remembered by the way they touched others."

"How _do_ you put up with me?" Yuugi reiterated, finishing the matter. That was how so many of their conversations ended, with the conclusion that there was no solution and no choice except to live their lives the way that they were. That nothing and everything mattered. That, in the end, the choice between ignoring and coming to terms with their problems was the only choice that made any difference. Yuugi had chosen the latter.

Pointing gracefully at the piece of paper on the desk, Ryou ignored his question. "You should read that. I found it very informative. And, in light of our recent conversation, it provides interesting contrast." With those words, the other boy spun on his heels and walked away.

Picking up the paper, Yuugi tossed it up and down a few times. Finally, deciding, perhaps, that whatever was written on it couldn't be that bad, he unfolded it to find these words on the headline of a new, as yet unpublished, article.

'Scientist Jounouchi Katsuya Discovers a Cure for Cancer'

~~

_I don't get it. Why do they all think I'm so great? I'm not. I just did a bunch of research. Anybody could have done it. Except everybody thinks I'm a hero now. Everybody. My name in the history books, celebrated as a savior of mankind. Generations after this, people will still remember me. I will never be forgotten. _

_But, I'm not a hero. Stop it! Stop worshipping me! I don't deserve it! This newspaper proves that. I had almost forgotten, but I guess that whatever higher power is up there isn't going to let me. Oh, that stupid business trip. If it hadn't been for that, I would never have seen this accursed newspaper. Then, I would never have been reminded of… him…_

_I can still remember the look on his face. The way his eyes widened in shock as I cursed him. I can still remember searching for weeks on end, hoping that he was still okay, even though I was the one who had made him leave, even though a part of me didn't want him to come back._

_How could someone like me become a hero? I don't deserve it. Really, I don't. If one more person tells me how great I am, I think I'm going to explode. I should tell them all the truth. Yet the truth would ruin me. They'd all see that I'm the real freak, someone who'd turn on his friend for just a small abnormality._

_I'm horrible._

_Maybe I should end…_

_Freaky. Even before that thought had finished passing through my brain, I find this dagger. It's awfully shiny. Ouch! And sharp. It looks like it's winking at me. Evilly. Maliciously. _

_Wait…Why do I feel as if I saw this before?_

_Oh. I see._

_I guess Yuugi was right, after all…_

~~

Happy Birthday to Zoo…Happy Birthday to Zoo…Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday…Happy Birthday to Zoo.

We love you, Zoo-san…

Completed: 6/3/03 


End file.
